Footprints and carpets..... necessary or just nice?

[Alambil]

Very small budget for my tent expenses (well, £200 for the tent - not much for extras!)

Do I NEED a footprint and / or carpet? (for the Outwell carolina 3)

OMDB, just imagine yourself in a scenario featuring those bowls, baked beans and high winds. And see sense.

it is all idiocy though. you could spent 100 quid and then when it arrive you realise you could have bought the same stuff in poundstretch for a tenner. beware the lifestyle marketing

Blardy hell. You guys are right.

But I am a sucker for colouful sets of things.

I think the cups are ok price though - you can spend a lot more if you buy them individually and they look quality (hot coffee out of yakky cheapo plastic cups not nice)

The only thing stopping me is if I order now they might not arrive for this weekend's trip and I'll be all frustrated.

I agre, the cups are a good price. I'm sure you can buy them in shops though, maybe even John Lewis, I know a little independant shop sells them here in Cambridge, so you could still have them for this weekend?

No time for proper in-town shopping escapades before we go unfortunately.

Have ordered them anyway!

ha ha ha

glad I'm not the only weak one! They'll lat a lifetime, even if you don't get them this weekend, so money well spent!

muffle where are you headed this weekend? [stalker]

would it be so hard to make these nice?

here

Looks lovely and great reviews - shame it's so close but we only have time for a mini trip.

well there is a picture of David Bellamy on the website you are already onto a winner!

we are heading off too but waiting to see what the weather is doing.

there is a lovely site at bellhaven near dunbar too, (if David Bellamy is not your cup of tea)

No you don't need one
...but they are nice

I got these and these

The bowls weren't strictly necessary but... a design classic surely?

I've getting together a proper set of dedicated camping picnicware as I'm fed up of running round the kitchen scrabbling to find / wash the rando assortment of old toddler cup, least breakable bowls etc.

they are lovely!

I have solar fairy lights for the outside of my tent and a carpet too

It is camping, nit an indurance test

ooh thank for dunbar tip.

I want some seaside trips this year but a lot of the places are caravans only

this one

ooh that NotOnTheHighStreet shop is rather full of fabulously useless stuff isn't it, although I was mightily confused on the marketing strategy for naming a knife thus
[must read slower and concentrate more fully]

I SO win the non existant prize for camping crockery. We eat/drink out of the orange melamine cups, bowls and plates that i used as a little girl when I camped with my parents (ahh) on the bottom my mother has painted my maiden surname in nail polish for when I took a set on guidecamp.

I have cups with HISTORY .

Oh and MadHouse OF COURSE it is an endurance test. It is the best of British Everest Spirit, but with non breakable crockery and a picnic rug.

Oh. My. God. This thread has inspired me after about 2 years of not doing any knitting to knit a tent blanket/rug/thingy!!!!

Am horribly excited 'cos I'm trying to lose weight and have been desperate for knitting inspriation to keep myself busy.

We're going camping for the first time as a family in a few weeks and then over August - hurrah!

So if I knit a patchwork-type rug thingy as big as I can, any suggestions of what to back it with?

i am crocheting one - much quicker. no idea about backing - fleece might be good. ask muffle she is the fabrick queen

ooh thanks - I'm trying to think if I could back it with something waterproof but also washable?

We've got a groundsheet so maybe I don't need to worry too much about the backing? Was thinking of maybe plastic tablecloth-type material but am not sure how I could sew that on (don't have a sewing machine so it'll have to be easily sewable!).

Hmm....

and I can knit ridiculously fast when I put my mind to it so should be able to knit a rug thing in the next few weeks!

I love MN - day off for hospital stuff then I log on and get all inspired - much better than going to work!

Oh fab - pimp my tent! Bedouin style-y interior! Bunting and fairy lights!
Shame that myself and DP agreed to a shagging embargo on buying any more camping equipment last night - no more stuff to be bought this year until we've actually been camping.
Bummer, BUMMER, BUMMER!

Fleece is both washable and water resistant, you can get big bits in funky patterns here.

I have to disagree about them being a luxury; we have had 2 wet camping trips since we purchased our Montana 6 where the water has seeped up through the groundsheet and it has only been the waterproof backing on the carpet that has kept all our stuff dry. If the ground is wet the high traffic areas in the tent will start to let the water in. Picnic blankets will work to make it cosy but won't necessarily keep you and your things dry.

The footprint groundsheet just protects the SIG from damage so that is up to you really and how long are you planning on keeping the tent etc